This weekend, Yorktown senior golfer Kayleigh Agugliaro competed at Prairie View for the girls’ IHSSA State Finals.
Taking the course for the final time in her high school career, Agugliaro reflected on her time with the Tigers.
“It really is bitter-sweet playing for the final time,” Agugliaro said. “I was really emotional overall through the last two days because I was thinking about how this is all coming to an end.”
This was Agugliaro’s fourth season golfing for Yorktown, in which she finished scoring 72 and 73 in her sectional and regional tournaments. Her coach, Yorktown head coach Nathan McClung, commented on the experience of coaching Agugliaro for the past four years.
“The word that I used talking to her today was that it’s been a privilege,” he said. “As a coach who’s spent a lot of time with athletes, a lot of people don’t understand how much time it is. Coaching a kid like Kayleigh, it’s a privilege to make it to the state finals and be able to watch her play some extra holes.”
Although Agugliaro has had much success in golfing, she started high school as a multi-sport athlete. Her mom, Holly Lawhorn, commented on Agugliaro’s transition to focusing solely on golf.
“Up until January of her sophomore year, Kayleigh decided she wasn’t a basketball player anymore and her sole focus was going to be golf,” she said. She has not stopped training since January of her sophomore year. It’s been exhausting, but very exciting.”
Yorktown is a relatively small school. With just around 800 students, Agugliaro is a diamond in the rough. Agugliaro talked about the bonds she’s made with other golfers around the area, and the overwhelming support they’ve shown.
“It’s all been really good, and I have a lot of support from a lot of different schools that I’ve played against like Daleville, Delta and Wapahani,” Agugliaro said. “... I’ve played with them a lot throughout the summers and got to know them really well over the past four years. It takes the stress off of golfing.”
Working towards the state championship has been a lengthy process, and one that McClung has coached for years. All the preparation paid off though, as Agugliaro shot a 83 in the first eighteen holes on Friday, and an 86 in the second round on Saturday. This tied her for 48th in the state.
The course that hosts the state finals, Prairie View Golf Club, is regarded as a very difficult course to play.
“Prairie View itself presents some pretty unique challenges,” McClung said. “Even with these challenges, Kayleigh played some really solid golf. It’s overall just a testament to her work ethic, and the work that she’s put in.”
Throughout all the years that Agugliaro has been dominating the golf course, Lawhorn has been with her every step of the way.
“I’m just very proud of her,” Lawhorn said. “All of it just shows how much grit she has. Not only playing in these tournaments, but just everything. I’m just so incredibly proud of her and how much work that she has put into this over the years. Even though her high school career ended, this is only the beginning for her.”
As Agugliaro’s high school career comes to a close, she shifts her focus to the future.
“Now that it’s over, I’m still trying to figure that out,” she said. “I’d love to play in college and that’s the goal, but I just haven’t really had enough time to fully decide where I want to go.”
Contact Kyle Stout with questions at kyle.stout@bsu.edu or on X @kylestoutdn
